| Work, Life, and Community Balance |
| Hello Community, We had an amazing week, driving to multiple towns and small cities across Alberta, all interested in better supporting the growth of Alberta Tech Companies. It was the first time I was in the mountains, the badlands, and the prairies—all in the same week. Driving along the secondary highways made the week even more interesting, as you can come across research stations in the middle of nowhere—evidence that we still have a lot to learn. Wherever we visited, there were three things in common: People loved living where they were and did not want to move to a large city. They were committed to their community. … and they all LOVED Alberta Tech! It wasn’t IF these areas could support the growth of local tech companies, but HOW. Work, life, and community balance—that was why they felt their location was the place to be. And welcoming is an understatement… Each place we visited was complete with souvenirs, picture-taking, and tours of the beauty of the area, local colleges, and tech companies. With the support of Alberta Innovates, Community Futures, RIN Partners, municipal entities, local champions, and Post-Secondaries from across the province, the evidence is clear: companies like ASTech Award Winners TruMe Whole Health and Kinetisense are thriving! It was a great pleasure meeting with companies like these in their hometowns and in their offices. They have achieved so much, and we were pleased to celebrate with them at the ASTech Award Presentation at Tech Night in Medicine Hat. When we asked companies throughout Alberta, in addition to helping them find talent, “What can we all do to help your company grow?” The answer was the SAME everywhere, no matter what size of town or city: “be a customer” and “connect us to customers.” So true—many stated that they have a low representation of customers inside the province… so it is up to all of us, everyone! The call to action is “Spread the Word—Buy Alberta Tech!” Yours in Community, Gail |
